4EvaSeal® Blog

The 4EvaSeal® Multi-Purpose tape shows superior performance properties to competitive brands. 

The following is the first comparison in a series where we will be testing and comparing the performance properties of 4EvaSeal® Tapes to other manufacturers.

A commonly used brand is Eternabond®.  Other brands that are not as common, but still widely used, are Sika® Multiseal Plus and Dicor DiSeal.   Since these other brands provide similar performance to Eternabond®, we determined a comparison between 4EvaSeal® and Eternabond® would be the most appropriate. 

Eternabond® has two versions of tape that compete with the 4EvaSeal® Multi-purpose tape.  They are Eternabond® Roof Seal and Eternabond® RV Seal.   Samples of both brands were tested by our R&D department and analyzed on our laboratory equipment.  The RV Seal version of Eternabond® is a thinner version of their Roof Seal tape (4-5 mils vs. 6.5 mils).  Based on customer feedback, the RV tape is less expensive than the Roof Seal.  Below is a chart showing the measured thickness of 4EvaSeal® Multipurpose Tape and the measured thicknesses of Eternabond®s’ Roof Seal and RV seal tapes.

Tape Thickness Measurements

	Backing Thickness	Adhesive Thickness	Release Liner	Total Measured Thickness
Multi-Purpose Tape	8 mils	25 mils	2 mils	35 mils
Eternabond® Roof Seal	6.5 mils	20 mils	2 mils	28.5 mils
Eternabond® Rvseal	4 mils	17 mils	2 mils	23 mils

Why is 4EvaSeal®’s thicker adhesive a better waterproofing tape?

• Thicker backing provides additional UV protection and long-term performance.
• It allows the adhesive to better conform to rough surfaces.
• The waterproofing layer seals cracks, holes, and breaches. 

A thinner layer of adhesive has only one advantage – It lowers the material cost for the manufacturer.

See related article “Thicker is Better – Selecting the right tape for long term performance”

Our laboratory also tested the tensile properties and the adhesion of each tape.  Tensile strength is the amount of force required to stretch the tape to its breaking point.  A lower number indicates less force is required to stretch the tape, deform it or cause it to break.  The adhesive for the tapes tests is very soft and stretchable so this test was more about how strong the backing is.  The results of the tensile testing can be seen the chart* and graph* below:

Tensile Test Results

4EvaSeal® shows superior tensile properties when compared to both the Roof Seal and RV Seal tapes.  The added thickness of the backing and strength it provides is clearly indicated in the tensile property of the tape.  It is 27% stronger than Eternabond® Roof Seal and an amazing 124% stronger than Eternabond® RV Seal. 

Does it make sense to protect a recreational vehicle costing in excess of $100,000, or $200,000 with a tape that is a few dollars less?  “Stick” with the stronger tape….4EvaSeal. 

Adhesion Testing

The final test performed was an adhesion test conducted in accordance with AAMA 711-05.  AAMA is an acronym for the American Architectural Manufacturers Association.  AAMA 711-05 is a specification developed for self-adhering flashing materials intended for use on exterior walls.  A portion of the specification highlights requirements for adhesion.  Adhesion is an extremely important characteristic of tapes.  Simply put; you want the tape to stick and stay put.

Adhesion is tested initially then repeated after thermal cycling to simulate aging of the tape.  The chart below shows all tapes performed well after aging, with no loss of adhesion.  However, the adhesion of 4EvaSeal® outperformed Eternabond®s’ adhesive in both initial peel and post-aging peel. 

“Microsealant Technology” de-mystified

Our R&D laboratory examined Eternabond’s tapes utilizing an FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy…used for determining chemical make-up) analysis on the Eternabond® Roofseal and RVseal adhesive to identify the magic behind the “Microsealant® technology”.  The analysis did not find any evidence of micro bubbles or primer (as shown on their web page which defines Microsealant® http://www.eternabond.com/articles.asp?id=162) in the adhesive.  The FTIR analysis revealed that the adhesive contained synthetic rubbers, tackifiers, and fillers consistent with many other tapes.  It did not reveal the presence of a primer in the adhesive. 

Conclusion:

When choosing a tape to seal your roof, building, RV, or any other asset, consider the strength, long-term performance and construction of the tape you choose.  4EvaSeal should be your first choice.

*Samples of both brands were tested by our R&D department and analyzed on our laboratory equipment.  Eternabond® is a registered trademark of Royal Adhesives & Sealants. Microsealant® technology is a registered trademark of Royal Adhesives & Sealants. Sika® is a registered trademark of Sika AG